The currently known units for compression of gas and particularly air are relatively heavy. Piston engines with a crank mechanism require mass balancing in the piston's direction of motion and means for balancing the uneven running, i.e. a flywheel.
A flywheel is a wheel often with a large diameter and a heavy weight at the wheel rim. Such a wheel needs a long time to change speed when influenced by a moment of force. It is used to smooth the running in piston engines, not only in petrol and diesel engines, but also in compressors. Compressors are machines for transport of gas (for example air) from a lower to a higher pressure level.
Piston compressors are built with one or more cylinders, which may be single or double-acting. Compressors are employed for many purposes, e.g. delivering compressed air for tool operation, brake systems, servomotors for automatic control, starting internal combustion engines, etc. Other areas of application are production of pressure or vacuum for chemical processes, supercharging of combustion engines, gas turbine plant, pneumatic transport, refrigerators, heat pump plant and so on.
In order to keep the cylinder temperature down at a reasonable level in compressors, use is often made of water cooling or air cooling, with the use of ribs to increase efficiency.
A normal compressor operation is the use of an electromotor with belt transmission to the piston compressor's crankshaft.
It is also possible to mount the electromotor in direct alignment with the crankshaft. The electromotor's rotor may be directly connected to the crankshaft, designed together as one unit, or a suitable shaft coupling may be employed that is flexible, thus enabling it to take up inaccuracies in the shaft line.
Many of the currently known compressors with flywheels are exceptionally heavy on account of the flywheel.
It is an object of the invention to provide an air/gas compressor with a relatively low weight and small size.
Another object of the invention is to provide a compressor that is favourable with regard to building and maintenance.